What does it mean when a newborn (4 days old) has low blood sugar? The mother was not diagnosed with gestational diabetes. He is vomiting and very fatigued. What can be done to control this?

Low blood sugar is a common problem in newborns. Spitting up can also be common in newborns. In addition, newborns sleep up to 22 combined hours per day in the first weeks of life. However, babies should not leave the hospital if they are still having trouble with low blood sugars. The combination of problems your baby is having needs to be addressed by a pediatrician.

I would encourage you to speak with your pediatrician regarding your concerns. There are other more serious causes of low blood sugar, vomiting, and lethargy in newborns that may need to be addressed — this would include some disorders of the bodies chemistry called inborn errors of metabolism.

MSB